Great Southern Land
by silver-wings124
Summary: "The coordinates are wrong, they're going to land nearly 9,000 miles off course"
1. Chapter 1

"The coordinates are wrong, they're going to land nearly 9,000 miles off course," a flurry of activity erupted in the control room. People were rushing around pressing buttons and clicking computer keys in an attempt to rectify the mistake.

"What does that mean?" Marcus Kane was determined for this venture to work and was not keen on seeing things go wrong.

"It means that we have no idea if there are any resources, and there is a strong chance that we will lose radio contact with them", as the technician spoke there was one person who stood in silence. Abby Griffin watched the monitor, horrified that her daughter may be lost forever.

xx

"Something's wrong," Clarke Griffin watched the bracelet on her wrist flash. It looked like it the device was short circuiting, which could only mean bad things. Her friend, Wells Jaha, looked at his own wrist and was obviously just as concerned as Clarke. Wells could see the rest of the 100 hadn't noticed the malfunction, and wasn't looking forward to them realising they were being left alone and blind.

"This isn't good. How are we supposed to survive without their help?" Clarke didn't need to answer, the fear was written all over her face. Wells held out his hand and Clarke gripped it, hoping this connection could help them forget the impending danger.

The little Clarke had been told by her mom about their journey made her nervous. Were none of the council members worried at all about sending children to unknown terrain? Or concerned about the radiation that had killed off most of the human race? She knew they were running out of air in the Ark, but she couldn't understand how being sent to earth would be beneficial, especially if their communication was already breaking down. The rest of the group were unaware of their fate, most of them too excited about being let out of captivity. Clarke could only hope they didn't die on impact, but given the possible death by radiation, she wasn't sure what she would prefer.

xx

The sudden jolt as they landed left them feeling disorientated, with many of them stumbling around trying to get their bearings. Someone eventually found the door and as the hatch opened a blinding light enveloped the darkness. Clarke's eyes eventually adjusted to the brightness and were greeted by a sight she had only seen in hundred year old books. She saw a bridge, an overwhelmingly large bridge. She knew from her books that it had been known as the Sydney Harbour Bridge which gave her a new sense of awe. It didn't exactly match the pictures she had seen. Rust was present and the surrounding foliage had weaselled its way around the arches. Despite the overgrowth it was just as impressive as she had always imagined it. It amazed Clarke that a landmark so iconic had lasted all these years.

At this point the rest of the 100 were adjusting to their surroundings, equally as amazed by the new world as Clarke. Her surroundings were not at all as she was expecting. From the stories they had been told for years, she had been expecting a more overgrown environment. But, it looked more akin to a deserted city. Turning around she could see half destroyed buildings and structures. It looked like the city had been abandoned and not at all like it had suffered any nuclear attacks.

Clarke continued to be amazed as the group began to venture away from the drop ship. They could see a pier bordering a large body of water, crystal clear, that went on forever. One of the girls, Clarke thinks her name is Octavia, reached into the water and soon the rest of the group followed. Eventually someone jumped in, squealing at the feeling of the water covering their skin. It wasn't long before about fifty of them were jumping in; revelling in the new experience.

Wells and Clarke refrained from jumping in and took a chance to take a better look at the surrounds. As Clarke walked along the pier she noticed another structure she had seen in her history books. The Sydney Opera House, magnificent in its architecture and size. The originally white tiles had discoloured from radiation and weather, but despite that it was as beautiful as it had been a hundred years ago.

"Do you know where we are?" Wells had noticed the recognition on Clarke's face as she saw the building and was sure she had seen it before.

"This was Sydney, Australia. I've read about it in books. They were passed down to me. My ancestors were Australian and high up in the government. When the war started they had a ticket to space." Clarke couldn't believe that she had come from here; never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be on Earth, much less the country her ancestors lived and breathed in. Clarke turned back to the rest of the group and saw them overcome with amazement at being on Earth, no one worrying about what lay ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

Clarke watched as the rest of the group celebrated their voyage, uneasy in the knowledge that their happiness would soon be taken away. Wells was still glued to her side, undeterred by her anger towards him. She still couldn't quite understand why her former best friend was so eager to remain with her. Given all the insults she had hurled his way since her father's death she expected him to cut his losses. Deep down, underneath all the anger, there was a small amount of doubt about Wells' actions, but without any other explanation she chose to direct all her anger and devastation at him.

The excitement was beginning to die down which seemed like the best time to tell them their problem. Clarke had already been worried about landing on Earth and that was intensified with the knowledge that it was going to be harder than the Ark had expected.

"Guys, I know the Chancellor said on the video that we needed to look for Mt. Weather, but they've dropped us on the wrong country. We have no food and we've lost contact with the Ark," Clarke saw some of the faces in the crowd falter; many looked like they hadn't truly understood what she said.

"We need to find food and shelter if we want to survive." Wells was still at Clarke's side, always trying to have her back.

"Why should we listen to you? It's your father's fault we're here," she didn't know who spoke but Clarke knew one person voicing their opinion would trigger a domino effect of disgruntlement.

"He sent us here to see if we can survive on Earth, with no contact with the Ark this will be a waste." Clarke saw a tall boy step forward from the group. She definitely hadn't seen him before. He looked older than all of them.

"Why should we care about the Ark? They sent us here to die. If they do come down here, we're all still criminals. As soon as the find us we'll be in chains again," unfortunately the cheer of support couldn't be more obvious. She didn't know who this boy was, but she could already see that he would be fighting her efforts every step of the way. Clarke was pulled out of her thoughts by someone yelling and saw a girl pushing through the crowd.

"Bellamy! Bellamy!" the girl made her way to the front of the group embracing the boy who had just spoken.

"Octavia", Bellamy held on to the girl as if she was going to disappear, the relief on his face evident. Whispers began in the crowd, all realising the girl, Octavia, was the one that shouldn't have been born. They watched in fascination at this undeniable bond that no one else would truly understand. The siblings eventually broke their embrace but stayed as close in proximity as possible.

"Lead the way to the food, princess," Clarke tried not to let her annoyance at his attitude show, instead turning around in search of something resembling food. Clarke knew there were some who didn't survive the impact and needed to be buried, but survival for the rest of the group was her top priority at the moment.

xx

Abby had found a drop pod that could potentially get some resources down to Earth, now all she needed was to find a mechanic that to help her. She'd seen already how determined Raven Reyes was. Not only was she the youngest zero-gravity mechanic in 52 years, but she already knew about the 100. Abby just hoped she'd be willing to assist her. She was aware that any voyage could potentially be a suicide mission since they had no clue whether or not the kids had survived once they hit the ground, if they hit the ground. However, she felt whichever decision she made she would be sacrificing her daughter, and now her best option seemed to be to head to Earth. The Ark was slowly losing oxygen and if they could get some indication of survivability it could save hundreds of lives.

"Raven, can I speak to you?" the girl followed her down the hallway into an empty room, clearly confused about the impending conversation.

"What is it?" Abby saw apprehension on her face so didn't keep her waiting.

"Over there is a drop pod. I need you to make it work so I can go to Earth. We don't know if the 100 made it down there and we really need to know whether or not Earth's survivable."

"Why?"

"Because oxygen is running out, that's why the drop ship was launched. But, because they went off course we have lost all communication, we don't even know for certain whether they made it," Abby rubbed her sweaty hands together, worried about the consequences if Raven declined. Raven looked at the drop pod taking in the work it would need.

"If I do this I want to go with you. It seems I have just as much chance of dying here as I do down there. I may as well die in style," Abby smiled at the last comment, relieved that she had agreed to the task.

"Ok, you can come. I need this operational as soon as possible, and radio communication is vital. There needs to be a way for us to contact the Ark," Raven could tell that Abby was putting on a front regarding their chances of survival; they were both taking a huge risk. Abby held her hand out to Raven which she took knowing now there was no turning back.


	3. Chapter 3

The adrenaline coursing through her veins spurred her on. Voices raised in anger told her she needed to move faster. Sweat was dripping down her face; oil stained her clothes, becoming absorbed by her skin. Raven was trying to work as quickly as possible, not taking any time to rest. She knew from Abby's frequent hovering that they were fast running out of time and this was most certainly a life and death situation.

While she knew the majority if the Ark were unaware of their predicament, Raven had heard the worried murmurs when she left the room for parts. There was an undercurrent of fear surging through the population, ignited by the shooting of Counsellor Jaha - a secret that had not stayed that way long. Raven knew from experience that this sentiment would only fester the less they were told. As their leaders closed ranks the hostility would spread like wildfire throughout the Ark.

She knew it wouldn't be long until the council knew of their plans; her search for parts would guarantee that. Raven could only trust that her skills would pay off in a safe trip to Earth. Pausing to stretch her muscles her hand skimmed the object jutting through her shirt. Pulling it out, she gently caressed the charm - reminded of the main reason she needed to get to the ground.

xx

Despite the unrelenting heat, Clarke was thrilled to feel the sun blazing down on her. They had been on the ground for three days now she was no less excited by their surroundings. Walking through the old city the sense of awe became more overwhelming; discovering treasures hidden for a century. There were buildings still standing tall, trees growing out of their windows; grey concrete contrasting against the deep green foliage. No pictures in her books could do justice to the landscape.

Since landing on the ground Bellamy had appointed himself their leader, choosing to ignore Clarke's protests. Thankfully he took control of finding sustenance, avoiding complete turmoil. Since their first confrontation she had kept her distance and he, thankfully, reciprocated.

Bellamy however, wasn't her only concern. Another boy was lurking in the shadows, and she knew exactly who it was. Finn Collins, imprisoned for taking a spacewalk and using vital oxygen. His flippant attitude towards his actions angered her. While he didn't cause the Ark's oxygen problem his idiocy only furthered their dire situation. Even worse, he had attached himself to her and was relentlessly one step behind whenever she went. Clarke was quietly thankful that Wells had also not left her side; slightly easing her discomfort.

On their first day they had eventually found some vegetation, which looked perfectly farmed and suggested they were not as alone as they'd expected. They had unanimously decided it would be beneficial to shelter around their drop ship, which would better protect them from the elements. Every other day so far had been spent hunting for animals, hoping they'd survived. Bellamy, Miller and Jasper went out in one group; Clarke, Wells, Finn and Octavia – much to her brother's horror – made up another party. Murphy was left in charge of the rest of the delinquents, despite the uneasiness shown by the majority.

Day three saw the two groups merging to greater enhance their chances, and Clarke was unhappily forced to be in proximity of Bellamy. His arrogance irritated her, as did the control he tried to have over Octavia. Clarke was trailing behind the others when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Stopping as suddenly and quietly as she could she looked to her left. The trees shook slightly, footsteps growing louder, and she knew whatever was out there was drawing closer. By this point the others had noticed her stop and where standing quietly behind her.

There it was.

The huge animal stood proudly on two legs; the sheer size of it unlike anything they had ever seen.

They moved closer, trying not to startle it.

A branch cracked.

Before Clarke could do anything; before she even registered what was happening Jasper was airborne.

The animal went down, a spear through its side.

Then they heard a loud crash reverberate through the forest. They were not alone.


End file.
